The A-Zs that rocked 2021: Cell-cultivated and plant-based foods take off

SINGAPORE -The industry of cell-cultivated foods and plant-based products made leaps and bounds this year.

In the cell-based food sector, Israeli start-up Aleph Farms is looking to make its cell-cultured thin beef cuts commercially available in Singapore next year, pending regulatory approvals.

This came shortly after Esco Aster, a local contract development and manufacturing organisation, was given the nod to start production of cell-cultured chicken in July, at its facility in Ayer Rajah Crescent.

Cultivated meat involves making meat products by culturing animal cells under controlled conditions in a laboratory, instead of through traditional livestock farming. It is considered a more sustainable way of producing meat.

Another player to watch is Singapore biotech start-up TurtleTree, which raised US$30 million (S$41 million) in the first tranche of its Series A funding in October - one of the largest funding rounds in Asia's cell-based food sector.

The company is known for its novel use of cell-based technology in milk production.

Other home-grown brands are making waves on the plant-based scene too.

Last month (November), Growthwell Foods - which makes plant-based alternatives of meat and seafood for the South-east Asian market - launched its Innovation and R&D Manufacturing Centre at the JTC Food Hub Senoko in Woodlands.

The centre will produce Happiee!, a new soya-based chicken range, tuna flakes, and fish products made with konjac.

It joins other plant-based manufacturing facilities here set up by big names such as Swiss giants Givaudan and Buhler and American food-processing company ADM.

There has also been a flurry of new product launches, including Nestle's plant-based Harvest Gourmet range, American food company Tyson Foods' First Pride Green Series of alternative chicken products and Ayam Brand's luncheon meat substitute Yumeat.

In October, Good Catch from the United States debuted its plant-based seafood products of tuna, fish burger, fish cakes and crab cakes - made with peas, chickpeas, lentils and soya, fava and navy beans.

The next month, Californian company Impossible Foods rolled out its Impossible Pork offerings at more than 120 food and beverage outlets, while Meat Zero by Thailand-based CP Foods started retailing at selected supermarkets, online sellers and petrol kiosks.

OmniFoods' OmniSeafood range, including Omni Classic Fillet and Omni Golden Fillet, has also launched at plant-based restaurant Green Common in VivoCity.

The restaurant sells canned OmniTuna, which mimics the taste and texture of real tuna.